1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to managing the layout of a window. More particularly, aspects of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for managing the layout of a window, by which a user can conveniently display and use multiple windows by dividing a plurality of display areas.
2. Related Art
The screen size of computer monitors has been increasing over time. However, despite large screens, only one program window is usually open on a screen, and when multiple windows are open on the screen, a small window is usually open on top of the window of a main program. Both of these situations are not efficient considering the large size of the screen, and because the small window covers another window, inconvenient for the user. The user could manually adjust the size of the windows, but it is inconvenient because the user must adjust each window.
FIGS. 1A through 1D illustrate windows displayed on the screen of a conventional computer monitor. As illustrated, multiple windows (a first window 11 and a second window 12) are displayed on a screen 10 of a computer monitor. A user adjusting the position and the size of the first window 11 is shown in FIG. 1B. As shown in FIG. 1B, the user selects the first window 11, reduces the width and extends the height of the first window 11, and then moves the first window 11 left a predetermined distance. This allows the first window 11 and the second window 12 to be displayed without the windows overlapping. Next, the user selects the second window 12 and adjusts its size as shown in FIG. 1C. This allows the height of the second window 12 to be increased without covering the first window 11, as shown in FIG. 1D.
Whenever the user wants to use multiple windows on one monitor screen, the user must adjust the size and position of each displayed window, which is inconvenient for the user. Further, in the case where multiple windows are simultaneously displayed using an option such as “always on screen,” the windows are overlapped.
Korean Patent Publication No. 2005-78690 (Method for Displaying Partial Window Screen) consists of a configuration utility that sets a window screen division and an execution utility to display a partial window in a maximized state. When a user sets the whole window to be divided into a size specified by the user, the set partial-window-screen area information is stored in memory. Windows programs are then individually executed and displayed in each partial window and are displayed in their maximized state. After the display is divided into multiple partial windows, if multiple windows are displayed, the windows are displayed on their preset partial window screen. If the user ends the partial window display, a conventional window screen layout is displayed. The drawbacks of this system are that the user cannot move a window to an arbitrary area on the screen by a drag and drop, and the set partial size cannot be arbitrarily changed by the user.